© 2025 | WUWF Public Media
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, FL 32514
850 474-2787
NPR for Florida's Great Northwest
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

FAMU's Marching 100 Band Camp sets an attendance record as HBCU's see renewed attention

 students play their instruments on the Marching 100 practice field as parents look on.
Margie Menzel
/
WFSU News
students play their instruments on the Marching 100 practice field as parents look on.

Days after announcing that record demand caused Florida A&M University to run out of dorm space, the school set another. More than 600 kids recently attended the school’s annual band camp—The largest group ever.

The Orange and Green bands faced off on the Marching 100’s practice field Friday night. The field is ringed with family members recording the competition on video cameras and cell phones. One parent, Sharon Gruber, is sitting in the southern end zone, watching her grandson Owen.

"His band teacher at Fort Lauderdale High School -- she came here and got her master’s degree, and so did her husband. So that’s how he kind of got connected with FAMU."

That's how many kids get to the Marching 100's annual band camp, which drew campers from across the country.

That connection will carry Gruber's grandson Owen, to FAMU in the Fall, where he plans to major in music.

Gruber says the family plans to attend many more events. Her grandson moves into his dorm next month. He will be part of a freshman class that boasts a 3.8 average GPA — another record.

Copyright 2022 WFSU. To see more, visit WFSU.

Margie Menzel